Blind Date
by Foxy527
Summary: Ever wonder how Steve and Catherine first met? I have! This is one version of what might have happened. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**I have always wondered about the backstory on how Steve and Catherine met each other. Did they meet at the Naval Academy? Did they meet while deployed? Did they meet in Hawaii? The possibilities are endless. So I decided to write up a version I thought would be plausible. I so love McRollins and hope Season 6 brings us much more Steve and Cath screen time!**

 **Read this and let me know what you think. I love to hear from you so reviews are always welcome. As always, thanks for reading! And be sure to check out my other stories as well.**

After three long months on a covert op, Steve was happy to be home. It had been an exhausting assignment both mentally and physically. The first thing he did was go home for a hot shower and then sleep until his body didn't need another second of it. It felt good to sleep uninterrupted for a change. After 14 hours, he finally woke and glanced at the clock shocked to find how late it was. He was supposed to meet Matt and his girlfriend, Jessica, for dinner in just a little while. He got up for another shower before heading out the door.

Matt Steele was a member of Steve's SEAL team and also a good friend. Matt had met Jessica during their last leave and the two had been in contact as much as possible while they were gone. Of course, their contact was somewhat limited given the fact they had been on a top secret mission so their whereabouts was kept secret. But, whenever they had the opportunity, Matt had called Jessica and talked for as long as possible. It had been obvious to Steve early on that this she must be special because he had never seen Matt so hung up on one person. He was looking forward to meeting the woman who had taken Steele's heart.

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Steve walked into the restaurant to find Matt and a pretty blond standing at the bar. As he walked up, Matt introduced him to his love. Jessica's smile was genuine and warm as she greeted him.

"Commander McGarrett, it's great to finally meet you. Matt's told me great things about you."

"Please call me Steve." He smiled back, "He's told me great things about you, too. I thought he may've been exaggerating, but you really are as beautiful as he said."

Jessica blushed as she looked lovingly back at Matt.

"Watch it, McGarrett," Matt joked, "You _are_ my brother, but I'd hate to have to kick your ass."

Steve laughed good naturedly, "I'd like to see you try."

Before long, the threesome was being seated at their table and enjoying small talk. It was obvious the men were happy to be home and Jessica was thrilled to have Matt back at her side. Their dinner arrived and they continued to talk and laugh together. Jessica was completely taken in by the funny stories Matt and Steve shared about each other, and the longer she watched them interacting, the more she realized Steve would be perfect for her friend. And although she knew it would be met with some hesitation, she started devising a plan to get them together.

After they finished and made their way outside to leave, Jessica turned to Steve, "Why don't you have dinner with us on Friday, Steve?"

Steve looked at her questioningly. The thought of a home cooked meal sounded tempting but he knew Matt was probably wanting every second he could have alone with Jessica, "Are you sure?"

Matt patted Steve on the shoulder, "Jess is a great cook, buddy. You'll be missing out if you turn her down".

Steve agreed and thanked them for the invitation before making his way to his truck.

Jessica got into Matt's car and quickly fastened her seatbelt before pulling out her phone. She made a call as Matt looked at her curiously. He had the feeling she was up to something. It didn't take long to find out what.

"Hey, Cath. It's Jess. Listen I know you have leave coming up in the next couple of days, so I'm inviting you over for dinner on Friday. And I won't take 'no' for an answer. You'll need some home cooking when you get home, so come and join us. Besides, I need some girl time with you! I'll expect you around 7. Love ya!"

She ended the call and looked over at Matt who was dividing his time between watching the road and gaping at her in surprise. "What are you doing?"

She smiled sweetly at him, "Leaving a message for Cath…..and fixing her up with Steve."

Matt laughed in shock. All he knew about Catherine was that she was Jessica's childhood friend who was also in the Navy. Beyond that, he knew nothing about her and felt it was his duty to stick up for his friend, "Honey, you can't fix Steve up with someone without him knowing about it. He doesn't like surprises."

"He won't be surprised because you're going to tell him about it first."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. Catherine is a good friend of mine and she would be perfect for Steve."

"How do you know that? You just met Steve!"

"Call it women's intuition. Something just tells me those two would hit it off. They are both in the Navy, smart, determined, single, and good-looking. It would be a good match. Trust me." The look on Jessica's face told him she wasn't going to argue about it, and quite frankly, he didn't have the strength to tell her "no". She knew how to work him, no doubt about it.

"Okay, but what if Catherine can't make it on Friday?" Matt asked.

"She'll be there. She's known me long enough to know when I'm serious…..so when she hears my message, she'll know that she has to be there or else. Now all you have to do is tell Steve and everything will be perfect."

He finally offered her a resigned sigh even though he was smiling at her, "Alright. I'll see what I can do."

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"She said what?" Steve asked over the phone.

Matt sighed, "She said she's inviting over a friend who is coming home for a few weeks. Her name is Catherine and she's been deployed on the USS Enterprise for the last two months. She's due in tomorrow, so Jessica invited her to have dinner with us on Friday too."

Steve was silent on the other line as if trying to think a way out of this. He didn't do blind dates.

"Look, Jess says she's really pretty and has a great sense of humor. She graduated top of her class at the Academy and is quickly working her way up the officer ranks. Plus, I don't want to let my girl down….so if you'll do me this favor, I'll owe you one."

"You already owe me." Steve said dryly unconvinced that this was a good idea.

"So add it to my tab. Come on. How bad could it be? At least we'll get some time together and you'll get to eat some great food!"

Steve found he couldn't turn Matt down. He was his best friend, after all. He finally agreed to the plan and laughed as he heard a relieved breath escape Matt's mouth before he hung up.  
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 _Meanwhile, Jessica and Catherine are having a similar conversation….._

"Are you telling me you want to fix me up?" Catherine asked incredulously.

"Yes….and before you say 'no', let me tell you about him." Jessica said.

"Okay, shoot. But I still reserve the right to decline. You know I hate blind dates, Jess."

"I know, but I think this time you might thank me!"

She heard Catherine laugh on the other line so she continued, "His name is Steve. He's on Matt's SEAL team. Actually, he's their Team leader."

"SEAL's are notoriously arrogant and full of themselves, Jess." Catherine said.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud," Jess pouted even though Catherine could still hear the smile in her voice, "Trust me, this one is different. Just like my Matt. Steve is good looking and down to earth. He has a great sense of humor, like you. He seems really sweet, but he also has that little bit of 'bad boy' in him that always seems to turn you on. And he's not arrogant. He's…"

Jessica stopped as if trying to think of the word she wanted to use to describe him. "He's _confident."_ She said, "He's confident and a total gentleman. Come on, Cath. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

Jessica and Catherine had been friends since they were kids and the truth of the matter was they had never tried to fix each other up. Just the fact that Jessica was so hell bent on getting her together with this "Steve" guy made Catherine consider it seriously because she'd never done it before. Catherine trusted her implicitly, so that was something to consider too. She finally decided she had nothing to lose.

"Okay, you win." Catherine smiled into the phone, "I'll be there at 7. Want me to bring anything?"

"Just your gorgeous self and maybe a bottle of wine. I have the rest of it covered!"

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 _Friday night at Jessica's house:_

Steve looked at the address and realized he was at the right house. He turned the truck off and glanced nervously towards the front door. Figuring he might as well go inside, he grabbed the two bouquets of flowers and the bottle of wine he'd brought and made his way towards the house.

Matt answered the door, "Hey, buddy. Come on in! Jess is in the kitchen and we're waiting on Catherine to get here. Wanna beer?"

"Sure." Steve answered. Something stiffer might calm his nerves a little more, but beer would have to do. He followed Matt into the kitchen and kissed Jessica on the cheek in greeting before reaching one of the bouquets to her, "These are for you."

Jessica smiled at him broadly, "Well aren't you the sweetest?"

Steve shrugged, "I figured it was the least I could do since you're making dinner for me. Oh….I also brought a bottle of wine. I didn't know what you were making, so I hope this is okay."

Jessica looked at the label, "This is perfect. It's actually Cath's favorite," she answered with a naughty grin.

"Seriously?" Steve asked.

"Seriously." Jessica confirmed.

Then, she shewed the men outside to enjoy their beers so she could finish with dinner. After a few minutes, she heard the front door open and knew that Catherine had arrived. She wiped her hands off with a towel to go and greet her friend. She pulled Catherine into a big hug, "Oh girl, I have missed you!" She said.

Catherine hugged her back just as fiercely, "I've missed you too, Jess. This deployment was a long one! It's so good to be home."

"And it's about to get better," Jessica smiled at her coyly, "Come on. I'll introduce you to Matt and Steve."

They went into the kitchen first so Catherine could put down the bottle of wine she had brought. Seeing a similar bottle on the counter she asked Jessica, "You bought my favorite wine?"

"Actually, _Steve_ brought that bottle. You guys must have the same taste. Isn't that interesting?" Jessica teased.

It _was_ interesting, Catherine thought, but wasn't ready to give in just yet. Matt made his way into the kitchen to grab another beer. Jessica introduced him to Catherine since they hadn't met yet either. The timer suddenly went off on the oven indicating that something was finished, so Matt led Catherine out to make the introduction to Steve while Jessica worked on getting dinner finished up.

As they made their way out to the lanai, Steve's back was turned but Catherine looked appreciatively at the man standing there. He was tall with dark hair and the strong athletic build that was typical of SEAL's. He was wearing jeans and a blue dress shirt that fit him well. Matt opened the French doors leading her outside and Steve turned around as he heard them approaching. Steve's eyes met hers and Catherine could have sworn that time stopped for a moment. Ridiculous as it sounded, it really was like one of those 'movie moments'. She took in his strong, chiseled features, his full lips, and hazel eyes and was mesmerized. As she got closer, his hazel eyes looked green….or maybe blue? Whatever they were, it was a gorgeous mix that made her feel weak in the knees. She felt silly for being so affected, but she couldn't seem to help it. The man was gorgeous.

Steve took in the sight of her. Catherine was wearing a red halter sundress and her dark brown hair was framing her face in soft curls. Her make-up was soft and fresh. Steve noted that she had beautiful skin and dark brown eyes. Taking a step towards her, Steve reached out his hand, "Hi," he smiled at her appreciatively, "I'm Steve McGarrett."

Dear God, he is even better looking when he smiles, she thought. Catherine took his hand in hers and found she couldn't speak. "Hi….I'm uh…Catherine. Catherine Rollins."

Steve noticed that she seemed a bit flustered and felt relief knowing he wasn't the only one who had been nervous. "It's great to meet you," he answered with a twinkle in his eyes, "You look beautiful."

Then he reached towards the table where the other bouquet of flowers was resting. "These are for you." He said as he handed them to her.

"Oh….thank you." Catherine stammered in surprise. Then, not knowing what else to say at the moment, she said, "I uh…..need a drink. I'll be right back." And with that she turned on her heel and made her way quickly back inside.

She stalked into the kitchen, pulled a glass down from the cabinet and immediately poured herself a glass of wine. Jessica smiled at her knowingly, "So?" What do _you_ think?"

Catherine took a drink before looking at her friend and punching her playfully in the arm. "You and I need to talk about the definition of 'good looking', my friend."

Not understanding her meaning, Jessica gaped at her in disbelief, "You don't think he's good looking?"

Catherine took another drink, "There is 'good looking' and there is 'drop dead, panty melting gorgeous'." She pointed towards the lanai, "THAT knocks 'good looking' out of the friggin' stratosphere!"

Jessica couldn't help but giggle, "Did you just say ' _panty melting_ gorgeous'?"

Catherine couldn't help but laugh back before trying to get serious again, "Seriously, Jess. Why didn't you warn me? I would have worn something else."

Jessica just smiled at her happily before grabbing the dish she had on the counter and carrying it towards the patio, "Don't be silly. You look gorgeous. Now, come on," she said over her shoulder, "Dinner is ready and the boys are waiting."

Catherine took one more sip of her wine, took a deep breath to try to steady her nerves and gave herself a pep talk. She was a Naval Officer, for goodness sakes. Naval Officers didn't act like schoolgirls. She made her way out behind Jessica .

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 **So what do you think? Chapter 2 is in the works and will be posted soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Catherine followed Jessica out back carrying the salad. Once they put the food on the table, Jessica went back in to get the bread and Matt followed her in to get the dishes to set the table. Catherine was going to help out, but they had insisted they could get it all and left her and Steve to talk.

Once Matt and Jessica had gone back inside, Steve pointed at Catherine's glass of wine, "Feel better?" he asked teasingly.

"Yes, actually I do." Catherine grinned at him.

Sensing that she was just as nervous as she, Steve wanted to put her at ease. He held up his nearly finished bottle of beer, "I know the feeling. I was nervous too. I don't usually do blind dates."

Catherine's grin grew wider, "Me either."

"What made you say 'yes' to meeting _me_ "? Steve asked her.

Catherine shrugged, "Jess can be pretty convincing. We've been friends forever and we've never fixed each other up before. The fact that she was dead set on introducing you and I _said_ _something_ , I guess. I **trust** her. Besides, she's my best friend so I could hardly turn her down. And…..her lasagna is awesomely delicious. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Steve laughed and the sound made Catherine feel warm inside, "Oh I get it….It was really the _lasagna_ that made you say yes, huh?"

"Not entirely." Catherine admitted, "I have to admit, I was intrigued when she told me about you."

Steve's eyebrows shot up, "Oh? What did she say about me?"

"I'll save that for another time." Catherine said, "Let's just say, I think she may've been right." She lifted her glass to take another sip as she looked at him over the rim.

"Now you have me curious." Steve's eyes twinkled, "Guess I'll just have to figure out a way to get it out of you. I can be very convincing, you know."

Catherine felt her knees go weak again.

They heard the French doors open as Matt and Jessica made their way out to finish setting the table. The two couples sat down together. Catherine noted how the chairs had been moved so that there were two on each side of the table rather than one on each side leaving Matt to sit beside Jessica and Steve beside Catherine.

Wine was poured, food was passed around, and the foursome began to enjoy dinner together as the sun set over the ocean ahead of them. It was the perfect setting and Catherine began to relax as she realized Jessica had been right about another thing: Steve was easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. She caught Jessica watching her a couple of times as if trying to gauge what her friend was thinking. After being friends for so long, they could usually read each other pretty well and Catherine had no doubt Jessica could probably tell how impressed she was with Commander Steve McGarrett. She definitely hoped he wanted to see her again. It could make her time at home very enjoyable if he did.

After they'd finished eating and Steve and Matt had both complimented Jessica on her "incredible lasagna", they all began to clear the table and take everything back into the kitchen. Catherine wanted to help Jessica with the dishes, but once again, Jess insisted that Matt could help. She was just going to put everything in the dishwasher, she argued, and she wanted Catherine and Steve to spend more time together. Catherine reluctantly agreed and turned towards Steve.

He reached out a hand to her, "Wanna go for a walk?" he asked.

Catherine realized she couldn't refuse him. Besides, a walk with him on the beach sounded wonderful.

She smiled as she took his hand. He looked pleased as he led her back out of the house. They walked silently for a few minutes until they reached the shoreline behind Jessica's house. They removed their shoes and continued on the sand for a few minutes. With the soft breeze coming off the ocean, the soft scent of Steve's cologne was drifting her way. It was intoxicating. The man really did smell good. It made her want to….

"So, tell me about yourself." Steve's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"What do you want to know?"

Steve cast her a sideways glance that matched his boyishly crooked grin, "Everything."

"Excuse me?"

"I want to know everything. So start by telling me anything you want me to know."

Catherine smiled before looking at him indulgently, "Okay." She said before taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts, "Soooooo, I'm a Navy brat."

Steve's eyebrows rose in curiosity.

"Yep, my dad was in the Navy. Actually he was an Admiral….so most of my childhood was spent between Pensacola, Coronado, and finally Hawaii. When I was old enough, I signed up too…..and the rest is history, I guess."

Steve shook his head in understanding, "I get that. My dad and grandfather were both in the Navy. So was my Uncle Joe…..well he was sort of my 'surrogate uncle'. But he was also a SEAL. I lived with him for a while growing up and he's the one who encouraged me to become a SEAL."

"Family can be a strong motivator, huh?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah…Family…..AND situations."

"What do you mean?"

"Long story for another time." Steve answered. "Let's just say I felt a connection with the Navy. And a need to be involved with the SEAL's so I could right some wrongs." Steve looked at her and his eyes softened, "But this is too serious a conversation for now. So, tell me what you like to _do_ when you aren't living on an air carrier?"

"Well, on the rare occasion I'm home, I usually just relax, spend time at the beach, catch up on some reading. But I also love to surf when I can. And…..I love to ride horses, but I don't get to do that very often anymore."

Steve was intrigued, "You ride?" he asked.

Catherine shook her head, "Yeah, I use to. My Uncle Cliff owns a ranch in Texas. We use to visit several times a year and I would ride whenever I was there. There's something about being on the open range on a horse. It's…"

"Freeing." Steve answered for her.

She looked at him and smiled, "Exactly. I love to ride. It's just me, my horse, and the land. I love the peacefulness of it."

"I know what you mean. I love to ride too." He turned towards her, "Maybe we can ride together sometime?"

"I would like that." She answered as she continued to smile at him. She'd found a man who shared her love or horses and riding. Damn, could it get any better?

After a few more minutes, they decided to turn around head back towards Jessica's house. Catherine doubted that Jess would even worry if she didn't show up for a while considering how hard she had worked to get the two of them together….but Catherine still wanted to get back even though she was enjoying Steve's company.

They made their way back inside to find Matt looking through some DVD's they'd picked up trying to find one to watch. Jessica heard them coming in and turned towards them. A happy smile crossed her face as she found her friend and Steve still holding hands. Noticing Jessica's curious glance at their clasped hands, Catherine quickly removed her hand from Steve's and walked towards the living room. Steve was right behind her, though. She could feel the heat of his body on her back when she stopped.

"Have a nice walk?" Jessica asked innocently.

"Yeah. It feels great outside. You guys should go for a walk too." Catherine said. Then, her eyebrows shot up instinctively as she realized….. a little too late…..that she had basically just asked for more alone time with Steve. Matt turned around at her unexpected suggestion and caught the grin Steve was sending him over Catherine's shoulder.

"Catherine's right, babe. Why don't we go for a walk?" Matt said as he grabbed Jessica's hand to lead her outside. Then stopping beside Steve, he said, "Choose whatever movie you like. We might be gone awhile, so go ahead and start without us." He wiggled his eyebrows at Jessica before she playfully smacked him on the arm.

Steve laughed and moved to put his arms around Catherine to pull her back against his chest. "Take your time," he commented back to Matt.

Despite wanting to be cautious, Catherine found that she liked the way she felt in Steve's arms. She felt like they "fit" as she leaned back against him smiling happily.

Matt and Jessica walked out as Steve loosened his arms from around Catherine to turn her around. "You wanna pick out a movie while I get us another glass of wine?"

"Sure."

Steve made his way to the kitchen while Catherine went to look over the movies. They had several to choose from, but she decided to choose something that everyone might like. From what she'd heard "Pirates of the Caribbean" had been a big hit with a little bit of everything: Action, suspense, romance…..and Johnny Depp.

Steve returned with glasses in hand. "So what did you find?"

"How about Pirates of the Caribbean? I think it has a little bit of everything, so everyone should be happy."

Steve hadn't heard much about it. Being deployed meant he wasn't usually up to speed with what was "in" at the moment, but he was willing to give it a shot.

He handed Catherine her glass before taking the DVD case from her to load it into the player. He turned back around to find her watching him intently.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Fine. Why do you ask?" She took a sip of her wine.

Steve took a step towards her, "Because you look nervous."

"I'm not nervous. I'm just….."

"Just what?" Steve probed as he took another step towards her. Her eyes met his and she could feel the heat flying between them. He had that "sultry, erotic, sex-on-a-stick" look that made her body feel all sorts of sensations….in all the right places. She tried to keep her wits about her, though.

"Okay, so maybe I'm a _little_ nervous." She admitted.

One more step and Steve was right in front of her. He took the glass from her hand and held on as he put both of their glasses onto the coffee table. Then, he turned back towards her. She was watching him intently as she unconsciously licked her bottom lip. Steve saw the slight movement as an invitation. He reached a hand up to stroke her cheek softly before leaning down to kiss her. Their lips met, and although the kiss started out gently, Catherine could feel the heat between them. Steve was happy when Catherine opened her mouth and began to kiss him back. Fervently. Thoroughly. Exceptionally.

 _Good God the man could kiss_ , Catherine mused. _What else could he do with that talented tongue?_

When they pulled apart a few seconds later, Steve smiled at her, "I've wanted to do that all night."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Can I do it again?"

Catherine chuckled softly and suddenly felt braver than she had all night. She was going to blame it on the wine. "Of course. But just so you know, I may not be responsible for what happens if you kiss me again."

One of Steve's eyebrows rose as he gave her a naughty grin, "Is that so? Well, in that case, I _definitely_ want to kiss you again." He put his mouth on hers and flicked his tongue along her lips prompting her to open to him again.

Before she knew it, Steve had moved them to the large chair in Jess' living room that was big enough for both of them to sit on. They made out like teenagers for what seemed like hours, but was realistically only about 10 minutes, before Steve finally moved away.

He was breathing heavily as he put his forehead against hers and whispered, "Maybe we should…..um…maybe we should slow down."

Catherine agreed. "Okay," she panted breathlessly. Steve was right. They needed to slow down. If they didn't, she was going to end up ripping his clothes off so she could see more of the body she was aching to touch.

But she didn't do this on the first date…..so they needed to stop. She said a silent 'thank you' that Steve had had the willpower to stop them even though her body was craving more. Much more.

Catherine started to move off of the chair they were sharing to move towards the couch, but Steve pulled her back against him. "I didn't say you should sit on the other side of the room...I just said we should slow down."

Catherine grinned and Steve felt his heart flip slightly inside his chest.

"Okay." She said quietly as she settled on the chair beside him and he started the movie.

Opening credits were still rolling on the screen when Matt and Jess came back inside. Matt cast a surprised glance in Steve's direction. He and Jess had been gone for nearly 45 minutes and the movie was just starting?

"Whatcha been doing?" he asked curiously.

"Talking." Steve said even though he had a 'cat who ate the canary' smile on his face. Jessica picked up on it immediately; especially since Catherine wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Talking." Matt repeated. "Yeah…..okay."

Feeling Catherine tense a little beside him, Steve rubbed his hand soothingly up and down her arm to put her at ease. "So are you gonna watch this movie with us or not?"

Matt and Jessica cuddled up on the couch and the foursome was soon all watching together.

As the movie ended, Matt looked down to see that Jessica had fallen asleep laying against his chest. He looked over towards Steve to find that Catherine had fallen asleep as well. Matt turned off the tv and looked towards his friend.

"Sooooo?"

Steve knew he wanted to know what he thought of Catherine, but didn't give in.

"So what?" he retorted.

"What do you think?" Matt said glancing towards Catherine.

"I think I need to thank Jessica later." He whispered.

Hearing her name, Jess began to stir. She woke up to see Catherine curled up and asleep next to Steve on the chair. She grinned happily as she and Matt started to get up off the couch. She cast a glance towards Steve. Before she could say anything to wake Catherine, Steve stopped her.

"Don't wake her." He said.

Jessica didn't look completely convinced that it was a good idea to leave Cath asleep with Steve…..even though they were on a chair in the living room. Steve gave her a reassuring smile. "I promise, I'll be good. She's fine, Jess. Let's just let her sleep."

Jessica left the room to retrieve a blanket for the two of them. Once they were settled, Matt and Jessica left to go to bed as well.

Steve couldn't contain he grin on his face as he reclined on the chair with Catherine in his arms. It just felt right.

And he wanted to explore what could happen between them.


End file.
